Device for holding metallic staples



(No Model.)

W. J. BROWN.

DEVICE EUR HOLDING METALLIC STAPLES.

No. 488,374. v Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

versus co., mofuwo., msnmovcn. o. c

llriirnn STATES `PATnN'r Gruen.

WILLIAM J. BROVN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING METALLIC STAPLES.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,374, dated September 2'?, 1892.

Application led April 12, 1892. Serial No, 428,849. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Holding Metallic Staples, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a method of stringing metallic staples to prepare them for packing in boxes or otherwise for transportation and to render them easy of insertion in selffeeding paper-fastening machines.

To that end my invention consists in a rectangular holdenof Wood or other suitable inaterial, of a width corresponding, or nearly so, to the width of the staples and of depth equal to or slightly greater than the length of the legs of the staples, said holder being hollowed out or longitudinally grooved and provided with a wedge-plug adapted to be Wholly or partly forced into said groove, and thereby slightly spread the sides thereof after the staples shall have been put upon the said holder, in order to hold them temporarily thereon.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of the grooved holder, showing a string of staples in place thereon with the wedge-plug inserted in the groove. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same longitudinally-grooved holder with a string of staples placed thereon, instead of over the grooved side, as shown in Fig. l.

Strung staples have become an article of extensive commercial use, and while frequently put up in this form Where they are to be used singly in staple-drivers to be charged by the hand they are more extensively used as affording a ready and efficient means of charging a self -feeding staple-driving machine Without the trouble and annoyance heretofore experienced in placing the staples in the machine one at a time, as it is only necessary to place the end of the rod against the end of the feed-bar of the machine and push the staples along the same in a body into the machine by one movement of the thumb and linger.

My invention has for its object, therefore,

to construct a holder of the sine adapted for that purpose, which must necessarily be of rectangular form to correspond with the rectangular form of the staples, and to provide means for temporarily retaining the staples on the holder after they shall have been placed thereon and until ready for use.

The holder A is made of wood or other suitable material of rectangular form externally and is hollowed out or largely grooved longitudinally at B, said groove being of such relative size that its sides A A will have a slight spring or resilience wh en a pressure is applied thereto.

While I prefer to make the holder of Wood, as being the cheapest and most convenient material, it is obvious that it may be made of thin sheet metal having at least three sides viz., that upon which the staple-crown rests and those on which the two staple-legs rest. The staples D are strung upon the holder A in train, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the latter gure the crown of the staple is shown resting upon the solid side A2 of the holder, while in Fig. l it is shown resting upon the reverse or grooved side thereof. It is immaterial upon which of the two sides the staple rests. The side A2 of the stick A or its opposite grooved side is of a width corresponding, or nearly so, to the Width of the staples to be placed thereon-that is to say, to the length of the crown of the staple-in order that the staples may be conveniently slid upon the holder in Stringing them from the end and as conveniently pushed off the saine when ready for use, and the depth of the sides A A of the holder A is equal to or slightly greater than the length of the staple-legs.

In order to retain the staples temporarily upon the holder to enable them to be readily packed in boxes or otherwise for transportation without falling olf the holder, I provide a Wedge-plug C of any convenient forn1,wliich, When inserted in the longitudinal groove B, will slightly press out the sides A A of the holder A against the staple-legs resting thereon, and thus hold them suficiently tight to keep then temporarilyin place thereon. When the staples are strung in train upon the solid face A2 of the holder, as shown in Fig. 2, which is the form I prefer, the plug C is easily inserted in the groove B of the stick by placing the plug C on a table and bringing the open ICO face of the grooved side over it by the hand and pressing it downward on the plug, so that the latter will enter the groove. The end of the plug C preferably extends slightly outside of the groove, in order that when it is desired to remove the same the iholder A may be grasped by the hand covering the staples thereon, while the'eother hand seizes the projecting end of the plug C and withdraws-the same by pressing it downward. Then the staples are strung, as shown in Fig. l, with the crown resting upon the grooved side, it will be more easy to insert the plug C in the groove by dividing it into two parts, as shown in the drawings, and inserting it from the ends of the holder into the open groove, from which it maybe withdrawn in the same manner as before by grasping -the holder A by one hand, so asto cover the crown of the staples and pulling the plugC outward with the other hand.

VILLIAM J. BROW'N. Witnesses:

H. T. FENTON, C. W. BECK. 

